To Kill A Mockingbird Gender Inequality Essay

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Pages: 3

To Kill a Mockingbird has been known to impart the gender inequality that prevails in Maycomb. This can be exemplified by the fact that Maycomb’s prevailing cultural norms determine gender roles. For instance, when Francis tells Scout that he wants to learn how to cook, Scout ridicules this idea by telling Francis that “’boys don’t cook’” (109). The gender roles in Maycomb are also displayed by the fact that none of women in Maycomb, besides Calpurnia and Helen Robinson, have jobs. Instead, they stay at home and take care of the house. When they have free time, they chat and gossip with other women in their social class, as shown when Aunt Alexandra invites the missionary circle, a group that is entirely composed of women, to the Finches’ residence …show more content…
In the early 20th century, it was considered ludicrous for women to get jobs, unless said job involved housekeeping. In Maycomb, gender roles are very traditional and it was expected that children would also develop these same traits, as shown by Aunt Alexandra’s disapproval of Scout tomboy-like behaviour and clothing. These gender roles result in the gender inequality that prevails in Maycomb. Gender inequality also exists in Maycomb in the form of gender discrimination. When Jem asks Atticus why people like themselves and Miss Maudie cannot serve on the jury, Atticus responds by stating that “’Miss Maudie can’t serve on a jury because she’s a woman’” (296). Furthermore, it can be implied by the reader beforehand that there were no women on the jury as Atticus addresses to them as “gentlemen” numerous times (271). It is an unpleasant fact of life that women cannot take part in politics because their opinions are not valued by men. As a matter of fact, in the early 20th century, women were considered to be members of the inferior sex. The people of Maycomb have been brought up to believe the falsehood that men are superior to